HYBRID rice continues to prop up harvest, registering a 33 percent yield advantage on 29 out of the 37 focus provinces of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Rice Program the previous Dry Season Cropping (November 2004-April 2005).

The Department of Agriculture-Management Information Division (DA-MID) reports that the 24 provinces averaged 6.29 metric tons (mt) per hectare (ha) by April 2005, 33 percent more than 4.72 mt/ha attained by Certified Seeds (CS) in the same period.

The figure is beyond the 15 percent standard difference between hybrids and CS.

This is the latest data available from the DA as harvesting activities fro the previous Wet Cropping Season (May-October 2005) have yet to be completed.

"Hybrids have consistently outperformed inbreds since the start of the Hybrid Rice Commercialization Program in 2001," Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban said.

"From Wet Season (May-October) 2001 to the previous Dry Season (November 2004-April 2005), hybrids have a 33 percent yield advantage over certified seeds," he added.

Hybrid rice is the product of crossing two rice plants with superior qualities.

These qualities of both parents are passed on to the seed and results in a phenomenon called hybrid vigor or heterosis. This phenomenon allows hybrids to have greater yields.

With rice areas remaining to around 4 million hectares annually, hybrids provide a way of increasing yields without needing additional land.

This increase in production also raised farmer's income, which in turn lowered production cost per kilogram.

Based on figures from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics and the Philippine Rice Research Institute, CS farmers earned PhP16,899, more than those who planted home-saved rice seeds who earned P6,546.80. Hybrid rice growers on the other hand, made PhP32,661 per hectare.

On a national scale, hybrids, hand in hand with other rice production technologies, have increased rice production to record levels the past five years.

In 2000, production reached 12.39 million mt. Last year, production climbed to an all time high of 14.49 million mt, up by 7.38 percent from 2003 figures.

Productivity is also on the uptrend. Yield has been steadily increasing, reaching 3.51 mt/ha across all ecosystems in 2004.

This is a result of increased farmer interest in adapting the technology. Area planted to hybrid rice has improved to 179,446 ha in the previous Wet Cropping Season (May-October 2005), greater than the 130,880 ha recorded the same period last year.

Region II had the highest area planted with 36,446 ha, followed by Region III with 27,051 ha. Region I came in third with 19,153 ha, followed by Region V with 13,109 ha. Rounding up the top five is Region IV-B with 11,953 ha.

"With the cooperation of all rice industry, stakeholders, we are moving closer towards sufficiency in rice," said Panganiban.

"With a number of farmers attaining a yield of more than 200 cavans per hectare, we can further boost farmer's income and provide affordable rice for all," he added.